The first rays of sun broke through my window, casting a soft and warm glow upon my room. I watched the rays, as they set rainbows flickering around my room, turning my dull and pale room into a wonderland. As the light grew stronger, the rainbows vanished, but were replaced quickly by the sparkling shards of light from my crystals, hanging like pendulums from the ceiling. There was a sort of, hushed, yet calm serenity about it all. The sound of the distant robins chirping, a cicada clicking in a nearby tree. Everything was so peaceful. I sighed happily to myself and let my eyes close gently. This is exactly how the first day of summer should be.
My beautiful, fragile world evaporated when I heard the screeching. Immediately my eyes opened, their gray depths becoming alert and alive with specks of blue or green. The screaming continued as I stood and fixed my pyjama pants. It was Kendal, by the sounds of it. My eldest sister, she came home from college a week ago and will be leaving in three days. No matter the occasion, Kendal can always cause a commotion.
As I stepped into the hall my world became more alive than ever before. Kendal was shrieking in the bathroom, Jake and my father were already lined up outside the door, banging on it, trying to figure out what was happening. When I crossed the short space between me and the rest of my family, the door burst open and Kendal came running out of the bathroom in a towel, brown hair full of suds with a pair of startled brown eyes.
'It's a monster! A bloody monster!' She wailed. We stared at her blankly, and then I ventured into the washroom. My dad was awkwardly trying to comfort my sister, while Jake laughed. That's just like him, to laugh at his older sister's problems. If it were I screaming, he'd be comforting me too. I guess that's what's how the cookie crumbles though. Older brothers take care of their younger sisters, not the older ones.
'What monster?' My dad cooed gently. Kendal just sobbed behind me.
'It was huge! Huge I tell you! Three inches from my face! It ruined my shower, right in the middle of a Bob Marley tune as well!' She sobbed. I rolled my eyes. I didn't need a description, I knew the intruder I was looking for. Not to my dismay, I found it. A furry little critter, eight legs, some odd eyes, and the size of my palm. I looked at the spider for a moment, the two of us blinked at each other in thought.
'Don't worry I won't hurt you.' I said quietly, and then walked over to the counter to retrieve a glass cup. Easily I tapped the scared little guy off of the ceramic tiles and covered the top of the cup with a wash cloth. I left the bathroom on silent feet, holding the cup before me. Kendal had regained some descentsy, and was standing, brushing her hair back to try to keep the suds out of her eyes. Jake stood snickering, while my dad kept a safe distance from my sister. Jackie and I were both used to seeing Kendal run around in a towel, but dad was never home. So, this was new to him.
'Is this the criminal?' I asked, holding the glass up a safe distance from Kendal's face. Once more a piercing shriek left her and she hid behind my father.
'Kill it! Kill it! Kill it!' She yelled as she gripped my dad's shoulders. Both I and Jake sighed; my dad just looked awkwardly at the spider.
'Honestly Kendal, what do you do when there's a bug in your dorm?' Jake asked. I looked at him with a sly smile.
'Oh she probably gets the boys down the hall to slay the beast.' I teased and walked passed my father and sister and trekked down the winding stair case. Kendal snorted and made a pfft sound behind me, and then I heard the bathroom door shut. The stairs creaked as the rest of my family walked down the stairs. Once at the bottom, I opened the front door and stood on the porch for a moment, looking at the water.
I have a weird house, in all honesty. I haven't a clue who designed it. It looks like a lighthouse that got cut in half, and is about the height of one too. The house's base is a circle, and the rooms are all connected in some way to the winding staircase in the house's heart. We have four floors, the main floor – the first one, contains a bathroom, sitting room, kitchen, dining room and office. The second, a small storage room and my father's room. Third has my sister's room, my room, a washroom, another office and a library. On the fourth floor, there is a single bed room, which belongs to Jake. However there are two doors at the top of the staircase. One leading to my brothers' chamber, and the next to a second staircase that is very narrow and cramped. That staircase leads to the roof, which is completely flat, and meant for observations of the stars.
What makes the roof weird is that the sky is never clear. The house is located near the ocean, which isn't more than 200 feet from the house, after you go down the decline. You may get the warm sun waking you up in the morning, but the clouds always come in at night. Or at least there will be clouds present, blocking your entire view of the sky and the many beautiful stars that glisten above.
I leaped from the porch nimbly, and landed silently in the uncut grass. The spider in the cup scuttled around in protest to the sudden movement.
'Sorry.' I whispered and walked carefully down to the driveway. At the end of the drive way, a forest begins. This is where I planned on releasing the little creature. It's a shame most girls my age would have killed the spider without a second thought. I remember, once in grade one there was a centipede in the class room. All the girls were screaming and running to the other side of the room. I myself, have myriopodophobia, so I was frozen in terror. The thing scuttled onto my green shoe, and I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. I just sat there shaking as it began to crawl up my pant leg. A boy from my class came over and whacked it off my leg with a rolled up paper. He beat the little bug until it was a squishy green pulp next to my desk. After he killed it he smiled and said he; 'slayed the beast.' I called him a monster and ran out of my classroom crying. I probably confused the boy, but never the less, he killed an innocent bug. Even if it scared the girls in my class, and me beyond compare, you don't hurt things that are helpless.
The memory of the squished centipede was still fresh in my mind when I reached the edge of the woods. I squatted down and removed the washcloth from the top of the cup. The spider remained quite still, and then slowly climbed out of the cup, and onto my hand. I don't mind spiders, or any bug apart from centipedes. It sat there for a moment, before jumping off and scuttling off through the shrubbage. I smiled and stood, collecting the washcloth and walked back to my house.
A disturbance in the grass caught my attention, and I turned back to face the forest. I watched the first line of tree's intently, listening to soft cracks from the forest. Many animals lived around here, and I never want to miss one. Even if it's a rabbit. I love animals, I love nature. Although this house is odd, I love it too. It's so out of the way, we don't even have neighbors. Well, perhaps 50km away, but their far enough away not to bother us. All sorts of wildlife can be found in this forest and the ocean too. We've seen whales in the bay, moose and wolves in the forest. I watched the forest, but the cracking of sticks began to fade, and it was silent once more. Disappointment filled me, but when I turned and started to walk back towards the house I could feel something watching me. Fear ran behind me, and the parts of my body facing the forest began to get pins and needles. I stopped and looked over my shoulder, but couldn't see anything. Still, I ran all the way back.
By the time I returned, everyone had recovered from Kendal's episode with the spider. My father was in the kitchen cooking, Kendal was doing god knows what with makeup in her room, and Jake was playing a video game in the sitting room. Out of the four options present, one being to help my dad cook, another allow Kendal to paint my face, the third; watching Jackie play his game, and the fourth being sitting alone in my room, I preferred sitting with Jake.
When I entered the sitting room, Jake didn't even glance over at me, he simply patted the empty couch cushion next to him as he balanced his controller in the other hand. I grinned and sat down next to him quietly, looking at the game he was playing. Super Smash Brothers Melee, a personal favorite of mine, and Jake's.
'Sup sis?' He asked casually as he attacked the Nintendo characters as Link. I smiled and shrugged.
Jake is really just a half-brother, along with Kendal. I'm only related to them via Joseph, my father. Jake and Kendal are blood siblings, by mother and father. Their mother died when she was giving birth to Jackie, seventeen years ago. No one's really sour about it, and no one blames it on Jake. I entered the scene three years after the tragedy, with no mother. Well, briefly I had a mother. For a whole two weeks. She was some girl Joseph slept with, he could hardly remember her when she showed up with me and handed me over to Joseph. For the record, Joseph is a really, really good guy. He isn't the type of guy who would pick up a helpless girl and give her money to sleep with him. She didn't need to sleep with him, it sort of happened one day when Joseph was trying to drink away the memories of his deceased wife. He gladly took me in, though. He also said my mother could stay, but she recoiled from the matter, as Jake tells it. He was only three at the time but he says he remembers her well. A beautiful lithe girl, with black hair and soft amber eyes. I've pointed out many times that you can't have amber eyes, but Jake dismisses this and says she was wearing contacts. He said she looked like a gypsy, showing up with exotic metal rings around her wrists, dressed like something out of a text book. If Kendal had been there she probably would give me a better description, but she had been at a friend's house.
Joseph didn't need a maternity test, he remembered the night he spent with that girl, not well, but he remembered enough. He said she wasn't in any state to take care of a child. When Kendal came home from her friends she was thrilled to have a little sister, but when I was ten me and her got into a fight, and she demanded that Joseph got a maternity test. The cheeky little bugger she is. One would think after ten years, something like that wouldn't come up. However, the saint Joseph is, he kept the peace by agreeing to take the test. Turns out he was my father anyways, but ever since then I've preferred Jake, who never had a doubt in his mind.
'Nothing, now that that spider is gone.' I said with a smirk and glanced over at him. He too smiled and chuckled quietly.
'A great way to start summer.' He commented. I inclined my head in agreement.
For a while we sat there, chatting about things. We planned to go fishing on Thursday. I could look forward to that I suppose. We were deciding what sort of fish we would bait for when Kendal came down the stairs.
'Heyyy loving family!' Was her signature way of announcing her presence. I wasn't too fond of the way she dragged out the 'y' in 'hey', but I'd never tell her that.
'Hello Kendal.' I said without looking at her. I heard her make a pfft noise and she crossed the room to stand in front of me.
'Heyyy.' She repeated. I sighed and looked up at her, clearly she wanted our undying attention. Jake paused his game to look at Kendal as well, and around the same time our mouths dropped when we saw what she was wearing.
'There's no way dad will let you go out like that.' Jake said, once he got over the shock. Kendal was wearing a shimmering low cut, short cut sundress, accompanied by four inch heels. Her face was painted as usual, but with more color. She had black eye liner, giving her that Egyptian look, with blue eye shadow. Her lips were covered in some sort of gloss and her blond hair was shaped into many ringlets.
'Kendal, isn't it a little early for you to get ready for clubbing?' I asked innocently. She laughed and ruffled my black hair.
'Oh you innocent thing. This isn't for clubbing silly.' She said it like it was obvious, then glanced at Jake.
'Jacob I'm twenty-two, a legal adult? Unlike you I don't have to listen to dad.' Her tone was full of authority, and Jake laughed.
'Well we'll see won't we?' He subtlety nodded his head to the archway that led to the kitchen and dad was coming through. Joseph was holding a tray of snacks and he set them down on the coffee table.
'I made you three some-' His sentence ended abruptly when he saw what Kendal was wearing.
'Wash it off.' Joseph's voice was unusually strict and cold. The three of us stared at him in silence.
'What?'
'That makeup, wash it off right now.' He said. Kendal pouted and blew out her cheeks.
'Daddy it's just-'
'Kendal did you not hear me?' He raised his voice, and Kendal whimpered, her blue eyes round in shock. Joseph never raised his voice. Not ever. Kendal didn't argue farther, and left the room silently. Jake and I looked at Joseph, and Joseph looked at the floor.
'I should hope you don't dress like that at university.' He said, not loud, but audible enough for Kendal to quicken her pace and run up the stairs.
Jake and myself decided that, since Joseph was in a mood, we would go fishing today. We didn't want to be in the house when Kendal came down dressed for clubbing anyways, I hate being her fashion critique. After we scarfed down the snacks our father made for us, we grabbed our tackle and headed down to the beach.
The sand was hot under foot as we walked in our bare feet down the sandy incline. This was our own private beach, beautiful white sand, clear blue water, and a nice little dock all to ourselves. Kendal says it's rare to find a private beach like this, but I can't imagine it any other way. Thinking about our beach, full of people and litter, dotted with boats and drunken teens just makes me sad. I like being away from the world, I've never been outside of our town, and even it only has five stop lights. I enjoy my quiet, simple life. I can't imagine myself growing up anywhere else, or living anywhere else when I'm older.
Our dock seemed like the best bet for today, Jake silently agreed with me when we didn't stop at our usual spot on the beach. As we walked down the wooden dock, a shadow in the water caught my attention. I jerked my head towards it quickly, but there was nothing but churning water.
'Come on Shire, the fish aren't going to catch themselves!' Jake teased as he set down his tackle at the end of the dock. I smiled and down the dock to join him, but with a sinking feeling inside my gut. The invisible pair of eyes that had been watching me had once more returned. When I set down my tackle next to Jake I was fidgety and anxious. Jake looked at me skeptically and I couldn't shake this feeling of dread.
I set up my fishing rod while Jake reeled his in, and cast out once more. Everything inside of me was screaming, like warning bells, but I tried to act natural. Nothing is watching us, except for a maybe spiteful Kendal, but nothing will happen when I'm with Jake. I told myself, trying to stop the tremor in my hands.
'Shire look at that!' Jake's voice caught my attention and I looked up quickly to see what he was talking about. My gaze followed his finger to the water, and some yards out there was a school of fish flitting in and out of the water.
'It looks like krill getting chased by a whale.' I could feel my body go numb, before all my senses erupted into warning bells.
'A whale wouldn't be this close to the beach.' I answered simply and set my rod down. We could now make out a dark shape running through the water behind the krill.
'Then what is it?' Jake asked, genuinely curious as he used is hand to block out the suns glare. The krill left the whale's course, which was now pointed towards the dock. It hovered, under the water and out in the bay, but directly in front of the dock, for but a moment before it started streaming towards the wooden dock. I grabbed Jakes arm, my body was pulsing with fear. One thing you should never ignore is your instinct. When an unknown creature is streaking towards you with haste and your body tells you to run, you run.
It didn't take Jake long to respond to my tug, because soon enough we were both booking it down the dock towards shore. I was so thankful Jake and I weren't wearing shoes, we both run faster without them. The moment we hit the sand on the beach, more warning bells went off and I grabbed Jake's shoulder.
'Shire what are you doing?' He demanded and dragged me along.
'We have to get back to the house!' It wasn't like Jake to be scared of something, or run away from things. If he did, it was something a soldier would run away from, not a make believe monster from a children's tale.
'Jake no stop!' I pulled back from him and stopped on the beach, looking back at the water. From here I couldn't see the shadow in the water, but I did feel something. I looked back at Jake, he was at least fifteen feet in front of me. The eyes were watching me, the shadow was watching me, and Jake was watching me when he should have been looking behind him.
I wasn't aware that I was screaming, it just came out. A sound of my own making that chilled me to the bone. Still, I wasn't aware of this until my mouth closed. I was aware of the snake sinking its teeth into Jakes shoulder, and I was aware of the snake wrapping its filthy body around my brother as it suffocated him. My feet were frozen in place, all sound was gone. Now that my scream had come and gone, the only sound I could hear was my frantic heartbeat. I began running towards Jake, desperate to help him.
'Shire no!' He sputtered and held out his hand as a sign to stop. Obediently I stopped and looked at him in horror. Where the snake had bit him, blood oozed freely like water in a river, with Jakes crimson leaked another black, liquid. The color was gone from his face and he had stopped thrashing in the snakes grasp. I didn't really process how big the thing was until now. Easily fifteen feet in length, but surely a snake that size couldn't kill Jake? Nothing could kill Jake, he- he was Jake.
'Go back.' He choked before his eyes rolled back in his head, and with a sickening crunch the snake crushes all the bones in his abdomen.
Yet again, I obediently obeyed Jakes last order. I turned and ran back to the dock, I stopped half way when I noticed the fin lurking out near the end of the dock. Not fin, fins. Several, large and small. Going up and down a in sizes, but in order. I looked back and felt vomit at the back of my mouth. Jake was being torn apart by the snake, no. Monster. Whatever it was, snakes only have fangs. From where I stood I could see the row upon row of razor sharp fangs, shining and flickering red with my brothers wasted blood as it ripped his body apart. The beautiful blond, blue eyed boy I once called brother, was no more than a bare lump of flesh, being torn at and having its blood drank by that grounded demon.
I looked away quickly, swallowing hard. Maybe the snake would stay on the beach, away from me. Surely an animal couldn't still be hungry after that? No. Obviously it isn't hungry. The way it throws around what used to be Jake, littering my shore. My beach. Stained with my brother's blood. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself down.
All at once, the dock was gone. I was flying through the air, nothing beneath me. I couldn't speak, I couldn't scream. Something had hit me and I was winded. My eyes flew open immediately only to me stung with salt water. My lungs burned and I clawed at the water churning around me, dying for air. Once I broke the surface, I spluttered then gulped in air greedily. While I breathed I looked around wildly, looking for what had thrown me. My eyes were stinging from the salt, but I could still make out the fins surging around me. At first I thought rationally that they were sharks, however sharks don't usually come into my bay. Before I could think of another excuse I scoffed at the thought of being rational. I shook my head and started swimming towards the shore, then splashed back away from it when I made out the lurking shape of the snake that had devoured Jake. While I was blundering around on the surface I felt something slippery beneath my foot and I pulled my legs up, treading water with only my arms. My eyes couldn't see anything beneath the water, it was too dark. The sun that had been above me not five minutes earlier was covered with a thick blanket of clouds, which, much like the water around me, was churning angrily.
I started swimming towards the dock, all the while feeling the slimey surface slip under me as something moved. This only made me swim faster. I had almost reached the dock when something came up from underneath me and flung me into the air.
I hit the dock with such force I was sure I broke every bone in my body. My mouth opened and closed, I was like a landed fish. Gasping for air, even if it's all around me. It wouldn't go into my lungs. So I laid there on my back, watching helplessly as the beast rose above the surface of the water. It was a gigantic version of the one that got Jake. At least ten feet thick, and god knows how long. It towered above me while I watched it in horror. The many fins in the water, had been spikes along it's back, and the slippery surface beneath me had been its scales. The beast was a dark blue color, with black blotches. It's eyes were changed color from a milky white, to a smoke gray, to a coal black. When the beast opened its mouth, I could see the rows upon rows of teeth, and it's breath was a mixture of fish and dead things, unnatural things. Its bright scarlet tongue flicked out as it lowered its head closer to mine, its eyes burning with hate.
'Shire.' The whisper caught me off guard and air began to enter my lungs. I gasped and stared up at the serpent like beast in shock. Snakes can't speak.
'The protectress's daughter…' The whisper was quiet, but loud and surrounding all at once. I felt a scream rising in my throat. I was about to be devoured by a snake, not just a snake, a bloody monster. I closed my eyes and prayed it was a dream. Not to anyone specific, just to anyone who was listening.
When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to process what I was seeing. The snake, had turned its attention from me, and was now focused on something else. I couldn't see what, but he was making a fuss.
'Your people should stay out of the ancients dealings…' It hissed angrily, this time I could make out the snakes tongue making the words. I took this moment, and ceased it. I got to my feet, stumbling at first, but commanded my limbs to respond. I could run flat out for a good length of time, far longer than the rest of the girls and boys in my class. Once I got off the dock, I'd just have to-
I had begun running then caught myself when the other serpent appeared at its end, hissing and snarling. I'd forgotten about it. My heart skipped a few beats and I looked down at the water. That wouldn't do any good, I'd have to get on the beach eventually.
'You dare defy Apep?' The snake was really angry now, whether it was talking to me or whatever new friend it had made in the water was beyond me. I paced back and forth quickly, not taking my eyes off the smaller serpent. What keeps snakes away? Fire. I don't have fire. A stick? I'd have to have a pretty hefty stick. I quickly crossed those two options off my list and stopped walking, standing completely straight. The snake wasn't advancing. Why not? Couldn't it slither onto the dock? I took a step closer to the snake and it snarled again, but didn't move. The snarling sounds it made were sickly, they made my lips turn down in distaste. Snakes don't snarl, cats snarl. Dogs snarl. Snakes hiss. I walked closer to the snake until I was within ten feet of it, I dare not go any closer. The larger serpent behind me had stopped making noises, and I turned back to see what it was doing. That was my mistake.
Pain surged through my left shoulder and I cried out in pain. I fell forward and the snake wrapped its body around mine, beginning to constrict me. Blood pounded in my ears and I closed my eyes. I could feel the snake's venom spreading through my veins, idiot! How could I be so foolish? I thrashed back and forth, the snake and I roll down the dock. It snarled and tightened itself around me. An acidic taste filled my mouth and fury ran through me. I'm going to die, getting constricted like a mouse? I opened my eyes and continues to thrash. My hands were pushed up against my chest and I tore at the scales, tearing at them until they began to flake off. If I was going to die, I'd sure as hell leave my mark. The thought ran through me and gave me satisfaction. I continued to tear at the snake and I bit down hard on its soft belly.
Immediately the snake shuttered and spasms ran through it. It's grip tightened, but I kept my grip on the filthy thing. I continued to tear of scales, quickly adapting to digging under them, then peeling then off. A hot liquid flooded into my mouth, and I recoiled. Blood squirted from a wound I had made in the snake and I spat in disgust. Surely I didn't bite the thing that hard? I could feel it's grip loosening, but I tore into the snake viciously. A new thought replaced the old, I won't die without a fight. Now, a hope filled my mind. This creature will not have me. A spark of determination flickered, then erupted inside of me. Dying is not an option. With all my might I rolled with the snake, tearing into it without mercy.
The dock disappeared from underneath me, and the snake and I were falling. A new fear, a much larger one overcame me. I remembered the serpent, the large one. Perhaps it's still talking with itself. It didn't dawn on me that someone else might be at the end of the dock until I hit the water and broke the surface. My lungs filled with oxygen when I broke the surface, I spun around in the water, looking the snake that had rolled off the dock with me, but it was gone. I turned back to look at the end of the dock, the large serpent being my new priority. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
A boy, about my age, maybe a little older, was standing on the water. I've never seen him before. Although all I could see was the back of him, I knew I never saw him before. I would know if I saw a boy who can walk on water, and has a golden sword. The giant serpent was nowhere in sight, yet the water raged. I swam towards the dock, and to one of its base posts that towered out of the water. I kept glancing over at the boy, he was standing there, completely at ease. One I reached the post I began to climb it. It stood only six feet out of the water, but I was tired, and the wound on my shoulder was stinging from the salt water.
I rolled onto the dock and laid there for a moment, before pushing myself to stand. My body ached, and my adrenaline rush was ebbing. However, I wanted to get a better look at this boy. Had he come to my rescue? How could that be possible, if yes, then why? If not, I had to deal with him. I ran to the end of the dock as quietly as I could, holding my shoulder. I didn't even get a glimpse of the boy before I was blown backwards by a sudden wave. It surged over top of the dock and pushed me back. From the wave rose the giant serpent, it's eyes ablaze with a deep hatred, and it's scales flaking.
'Greek scum.' It hissed. The water on which the boy stood rose, and surrounded him. It pushed him towards the snake and he held his sword at the ready.
'Haven't had enough?' I heard the boy call to the snake. I propped myself up, coughing and spluttering. The serpent was in full view, facing the boy.
'Idiot Greek boy…' The snake shook itself.
'I haven't the time for you, pathetic weakling.'
'If I'm such a weakling why are you leaving in such a hurry?' The boy taunted.
'If you think you have greater power then an ancient, then the great Apep of Chaos…' Quick as lightening, the tip of the snake's tail lashed out of the water. Since it was the tip, it was much thinner, less than a foot in width, but it moved quickly. Before the boy could react, the sword in his hand was hit with the full force of the snakes tail, while it's very tip slashed across his face. The boy recoiled to slow, preoccupied by his broken sword, which shrunk and fell into the churning water, and the blood seeping from the wound on his face, then snake caught him off guard. With another quick attack, the snake's tail batted the boy into the water. I stood and watched the boy get thrown into the water like a rag doll.
'You are sadly mistaken my boy. I have no interest in the Greeks.' The snake's great head turned towards me, and locked eyes with me. I could feel my body go cold as I stared into its eyes.
'My mission lies closer to home.' It said simply, before shrinking back, away from the dock. In a swift movement, the snake sunk beneath the waves and was gone.
I stood frozen, completely still until the sunlight made me close my eyes. The clouds had left, and once more I stood on the dock, on a warm and beautiful day, just like I had done so many times before. The only difference was that, my brother was dead, I was drenched in blood, my own and the snakes, and I was scared beyond my wits.
I inched forward, until I stood at the edge of the dock. Below me, caught in the oceans soft pull was the boy. He was face down in the water, wearing casual attire. Anyone passing by would have thought he was doing this on purpose, if they didn't see how hard he had been hit, and didn't see the blood mixing in with the water.
Without a second thought I dove off the dock into the water, pushing away my fatigue and refusing to accept the fact I was in pain. Now that I could see the bottom of the beach, and the fish swimming easily beneath me, I was not afraid. I swam to the boy's side and flipped him over, so he could breathe. I let go of him and watched him float for a moment. Sure enough I could see the light rise and fall of his chest. I sighed in relief. Perhaps this Jesus child would know what was going on, but first I had to tend to him. I was about to wrap my arms around his waist and take him back to shore when something gold caught my eye. I stopped and looked down through the water. I couldn't get a clear view of what it was, so I dove under the water. I'm sure a moment alone wouldn't kill the boy, now that he could breathe. Once I was under the water I had to close my eyes, so I did it all by touch. There were two cool, metal pieces beneath my fingers. When I gripped them my arm erupted with goose bumps, it was like holding onto an electrical fence.
I surfaced and jammed the metal pieces into my pocket. I could look at them later. When I returned to the boy, I was surprised to see the blood seeping from his chest had stopped, and the lash across his face was sealed. By the time I got him to the shore, the mark on his face was completely gone. Something stirred inside of me, something told me to leave the boy where he was, and run. I couldn't. Even if this boy would kill me when he woke, I couldn't leave him. I can't leave something helpless to die.
When I dragged him to the house I didn't glance at the pieces of my brother spread across the beach, and I didn't flinch when I walked into the house and found the walls covered in blood. I felt nothing but numbness when I had to step over the body of Kendal, her life's blood spent across two rooms in the house. The same numbness filled me when I had to weave my way between the limbs of my father, and inch around his decapitated head. The only time I felt something was when I walked into the kitchen and found it neat and organized. I felt hope. I knew the other three were dead, beyond helpless and beyond repair. This boy however, was helpless and needed mending.
The only wound left on the boy was on his waist, where the snake might have bit him, or something. It was oozing puss and venom, it was clear his body was rejecting the venom, which I found odd. I don't know why I did it, but I drenched him with water. It felt…right. In an odd way. Once I was sure his breathing was steady, I sat down at the table he was laid on, and sat there for a moment. I knew I would go into shock sooner or later, so why not sleep first? Maybe if I could be naïve enough, I would believe this was all a dream. It was surprising how fast sleep wrapped its arms around me, but it was comforting too.